Zaan

The Zaan (Dutch pronunciation: [zaːn]) is a small river in the province of North Holland in the northwestern Netherlands and the name of a district through which it runs. The river was originally a side arm of the IJ bay and travels 13.5 kilometers through the municipalities of Zaanstad ("Zaan City") and Wormerland north of Amsterdam, from West-Knollendam in the north to Zaandam in the south, where it empties into the IJ.

The region through which the river runs is called the Zaan district (Dutch: Zaanstreek[ˈzaːnstreːk]). It comprises the municipalities of Zaanstad, Oostzaan, and most of Wormerland.

During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, the Zaan district was dotted with windmills with a variety of functions and it is often considered to be one of the world's first industrialized areas.[1] Joining an already considerable number of flour mills were, for example, from 1592 "wood mills" for sawing wood, from 1600 "hemp mills" for extracting fibers from flax and hemp, from 1601 oil mills for crushing oil-bearing seeds and "paint mills" producing dyes and paint, and shortly after paper mills for the production of paper. By the mid-17th century, approximately 900 windmills could be found along the river, some of them still preserved, particularly in the Zaanse Schans.

The Zaan district continues to be a heavily industrialized area with many factories, particularly around the city of Zaandam. A number of major Dutch companies, like Ahold and Verkade, were founded in the Zaan district.

The dialect spoken in the Zaan area is known as Zaans. It has some similarities with the West Frisian dialect.

French impressionist painter Claude Monet stayed in Zaandam in the summer of 1871 and produced a series of 24 paintings of the Zaan district, writing to his friend Camille Pissarro that, "there is enough here to paint for an entire lifetime."[2] Monet returned to the Zaan district to paint during visits to the Netherlands in following years.

The name of the Alkmaar-based football club AZ is short for Alkmaar Zaanstreek.

1.
North Holland
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North Holland is a province in the northwest of the Netherlands. It is situated on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, in 2015, it had a population of 2,762,163 and a total area of 2,670 km2. From the 9th to the 16th century, the area was a part of the County of Holland. During this period West Friesland was incorporated, in the 17th and 18th century, the area was part of the province of Holland. At that time, the distinction between the Noorderkwartier and the Zuiderkwartier became common, in 1840, the province of Holland was split into the two provinces of North Holland and South Holland. In 1855, the Haarlemmermeer was drained and turned into land, the capital and seat of the provincial government is Haarlem, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands capital city, is the provinces largest city. The Kings Commissioner of North Holland is Johan Remkes, there are 51 municipalities and three water boards in the province. For most of its history, the province of North Holland was an integral part of Holland. From the 9th century to the 16th century, Holland was a county ruled by the counts of Holland, during this period an area known as West Friesland was conquered and integrated into Holland. For centuries afterwards Holland would be officially called Holland and West Friesland, the people of West Friesland had a strong sense of identity as a region within Holland. From the 16th century to 1795, Holland was the wealthiest and most important province in the United Provinces in the Dutch Republic, as the richest and most powerful province, Holland dominated the union. During this period a distinction was made between the North Quarter and the South Quarter, areas that roughly correspond to the two modern provinces. The province of North Holland as it is today has its origins in the period of French rule from 1795 to 1813 and this was a time of bewildering changes to the Dutch system of provinces. In 1795 the old order was swept away and the Batavian Republic was established, in the Constitution enacted on 23 April 1798, the old borders were radically changed. The republic was reorganised into eight departments with roughly equal populations, Holland was split up into five departments named Texel, Amstel, Delf, Schelde en Maas, and Rijn. The first three of these lay within the borders of the old Holland, the two were made up of parts of different provinces. In 1801 the old borders were restored when the department of Holland was created and this reorganisation had been short-lived, but it gave birth to the concept of breaking up Holland and making it a less powerful province. This time the two departments were called Amstelland and Maasland and this also did not last long

2.
Netherlands
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The Netherlands, also informally known as Holland is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three territories in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, sharing borders with Belgium, the United Kingdom. The three largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, Amsterdam is the countrys capital, while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government. The port of Rotterdam is the worlds largest port outside East-Asia, the name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. Netherlands literally means lower countries, influenced by its low land and flat geography, most of the areas below sea level are artificial. Since the late 16th century, large areas have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes, with a population density of 412 people per km2 –507 if water is excluded – the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country. Only Bangladesh, South Korea, and Taiwan have both a population and higher population density. Nevertheless, the Netherlands is the worlds second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products and this is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate. In 2001, it became the worlds first country to legalise same-sex marriage, the Netherlands is a founding member of the EU, Eurozone, G-10, NATO, OECD and WTO, as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union. The first four are situated in The Hague, as is the EUs criminal intelligence agency Europol and this has led to the city being dubbed the worlds legal capital. The country also ranks second highest in the worlds 2016 Press Freedom Index, the Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy, ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom. It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund, in 2013, the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world, reflecting its high quality of life. The Netherlands also ranks joint second highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, the region called Low Countries and the country of the Netherlands have the same toponymy. Place names with Neder, Nieder, Nether and Nedre and Bas or Inferior are in use in all over Europe. They are sometimes used in a relation to a higher ground that consecutively is indicated as Upper, Boven, Oben. In the case of the Low Countries / the Netherlands the geographical location of the region has been more or less downstream. The geographical location of the region, however, changed over time tremendously

3.
IJ (Amsterdam)
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The IJ is a body of water, formerly a bay, in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is known for being Amsterdams waterfront and it is considered a river by Rijkswaterstaat, though some contest this qualification, calling the IJ a lake. Its name is an obsolete Dutch word meaning water, derived from the West Frisian word ie stream, the name consists of the digraph ij, which behaves like a single letter. Therefore, both letters are capitalized, cf. IJmuiden. Today, the IJ is divided into two parts, To the west, the Binnen-Ĳ, or Afgesloten-Ĳ, is connected to the North Sea Canal, where the port of IJmuiden. To the east, the Buiten-Ĳ is an extension of the IJmeer and Markermeer and these two lakes are separated by a set of locks. There are several theories about the origins of the IJ, perhaps it began as a stream, following a breakthrough in the dunes of Castricum. More likely, the IJ is a remnant of an arm of the Rhine delta. Finally, the IJ could also come from the lake Almere or Flevo, during the Roman period the IJ communicated on one side with the lake Flevo and the Vecht and the other with the North Sea. Connection with the North Sea has subsequently disappeared, while the IJ in the Middle Ages has expanded and this is due to the emergence of the Zuiderzee, itself a bay of the North Sea resulting from a number of storms. At the end of the Middle Ages, the IJ was a long and narrow brackish bay that connected to the Zuiderzee, at the same time, the bay gnawed away at the surrounding farmlands, almost connecting with the Haarlemmermeer and seriously threatening the cities of Haarlem and Amsterdam. Plans were put forth to reclaim both the Haarlemmermeer and the IJ and turn them into polders, at the same time, the North Sea Canal was constructed in the former IJ basin to provide Amsterdam with access to the sea again and revive its ailing port. It cut through the isthmus to connect to the North Sea near the town of Velsen, the east end of the IJ polders near Amsterdam was given over to industry, and a large new seaport area was constructed. The Buiten-IJ hosted the mixed dinghy sailing events for the 1928 Summer Olympics in neighboring Amsterdam and it also hosted two events for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. 1928 Summer Olympics official report, featuring map of the Buiten IJ. pp. 271–2,274, website Historical ferries Sports-Reference. com 1920 Summer Olympics sailing mixed 12-foot results. Sports-Reference. com 1928 Summer Olympics sailing mixed dinghy results

4.
Zaanstad
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Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, situated northwest of Amsterdam. It is part of the conurbation and metropolitan area of Amsterdam, however, being surrounded by countryside and due to its relatively protracted shape that follows the river Zaan, a rural atmosphere is always nearby

5.
Amsterdam
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Amsterdam is the capital and most populous municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its status as the capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands, although it is not the seat of the government, which is The Hague. Amsterdam has a population of 851,373 within the city proper,1,351,587 in the urban area, the city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The metropolitan area comprises much of the part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe. Amsterdams name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the citys origin around a dam in the river Amstel, during that time, the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned, the 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam is considered a world city by the Globalization. The city is also the capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and seven of the worlds 500 largest companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2012, Amsterdam was ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit and 12th globally on quality of living for environment, the city was ranked 3rd in innovation by Australian innovation agency 2thinknow in their Innovation Cities Index 2009. The Amsterdam seaport to this day remains the second in the country, famous Amsterdam residents include the diarist Anne Frank, artists Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh, and philosopher Baruch Spinoza. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city center. After the floods of 1170 and 1173, locals near the river Amstel built a bridge over the river, the earliest recorded use of that name is in a document dated October 27,1275, which exempted inhabitants of the village from paying bridge tolls to Count Floris V. This allowed the inhabitants of the village of Aemstelredamme to travel freely through the County of Holland, paying no tolls at bridges, locks, the certificate describes the inhabitants as homines manentes apud Amestelledamme. By 1327, the name had developed into Aemsterdam, Amsterdam is much younger than Dutch cities such as Nijmegen, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. In October 2008, historical geographer Chris de Bont suggested that the land around Amsterdam was being reclaimed as early as the late 10th century. This does not necessarily mean there was already a settlement then, since reclamation of land may not have been for farming—it may have been for peat. Amsterdam was granted city rights in either 1300 or 1306, from the 14th century on, Amsterdam flourished, largely from trade with the Hanseatic League

6.
West-Knollendam
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Westknollendam is a town in the northwest Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Zaanstad, North Holland, the village is located along the Zaan river. On the opposite shore is Oostknollendam, in the municipality of Wormerland, in 2001, the town of Westknollendam had 468 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.09 km², the slightly larger statistical district West-Knollendam has a population of around 490

7.
Zaandam
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Zaandam is a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the city of the municipality of Zaanstad. It is located on the Zaan, nearby the North Sea Canal, the statistical district Zaandam, which covers the city and the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 72,597. Zaandam was a municipality until 1974, when it became a part of the new municipality of Zaanstad. Zaandam and the surrounding Zaan River region, called the Zaanstreek, in the Dutch Golden Age, Zaandam served as a large milling centre. Thousands of windmills powered saws that were processing Scandinavian wood for the shipbuilding, a statue was commissioned from the Bosnian Serb sculptor Slavomir Miletić in honour of this era, and the statue, “The Woodworker”, was installed on 20 June 2004. Zaandam was a city in the first Industrial Revolution. Into the second half of the 20th century, Zaandam was still an important lumber port, Zaandam is also historically linked with the whaling industry. In 1697, the czar Peter I of Russia spent some time in Zaandam, the house he stayed in has been preserved as a small museum, the Czar Peter House. In 1871, the impressionist painter Claude Monet lived in Zaandam for approximately half a year, during that time, he made 25 paintings of the area, including Bateaux en Hollande pres de Zaandam and A windmill at Zaandam. The first European McDonalds restaurant opened in Zaandam in 1971, football club AZ was founded in Zaandam on May 10,1967. Kuyper, Gemeente Atlas van Nederland, 1865-1870, Zaandam, map of the former municipality, around 1868

8.
Koog aan de Zaan
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Koog aan de Zaan is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zaanstad, and lies about 11 km northwest of Amsterdam, Koog aan de Zaan was a separate municipality until 1974, when the municipality of Zaanstad was created. Koog aan de Zaan has a population of around 11770, a8ernA, an urban renewal project for the space under the A8 motorway as it passes through Koog aan de Zaan, was a joint winner of the 2006 European Prize for Urban Public Space. There are two stations within the borders of Koog aan de Zaan. These are, Koog aan de Zaan railway station, which serves Koog aan de Zaan itself, Zaandijk Zaanse Schans railway station, which mainly serves Zaandijk and the Zaanse Schans, an open-air museum nearby in Zaandijk. Zaandam railway station is the nearest main station, for Purmerend, Hoorn and Enkhuizen use Zaandam Kogerveld railway station. J. Kuyper, Gemeente Atlas van Nederland, 1865-1870, Koog aan de Zaan, map of the former municipality, around 1868

9.
Westzaan
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Westzaan is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zaanstad, and lies about 13 km northeast of Haarlem, Westzaan was a separate municipality until 1974, when it became a part of Zaanstad. In 2001, the town of Westzaan had 2130 inhabitants, the built-up area of the town was 0.34 km², and contained 834 residences. The statistical district Westzaan, which covers the village and the countryside, has a population of around 4580. Westzaan has the wind powered paper mill in the world. J. Kuyper, Gemeente Atlas van Nederland, 1865-1870, Westzaan, map of the former municipality, around 1868

10.
Oostzaan
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Oostzaan is a municipality and a town in the Zaanstreek, Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,153 in 2014, Oostzaan has a total area of 16.08 km2 of which 4.55 km2 is water. Oostzaan—together with Westzaan and Assendelft—are considered the towns of the Zaanstreek. Oostzaan also played a role in the VOC and WIC shipping and shipbuilding, in the 17th century Oostzaan had its own pirate, named Claes Compaen. He liquidated the booty on the coast of Ireland, later in Salé, a street in Oostzaan is named for Claes Compaen. The town has a Reformed church with a cruciform groundplan, the Great Church, in the Oostzijderveld area of Oostzaan stands a windmill, De Windjager. Oostzaan consists of hamlets, Achterdichting, De Heul, Kerkbuurt. Kerkbuurt and the part of Zuideinde are the center of Oostzaan

11.
Zaandijk
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Zaandijk is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zaanstad, and lies about 11 km northwest of Amsterdam, Zaandijk has a population of around 9040. The first citizens of Zaandijk were members of the family of Hendrik Pietersz who moved into de Lage dijk in the year 1494, de Lagedijk still exists in Zaandijk. In 1570 the town consisted of 19 houses and these dwellings were burned by the Spaniards in 1572, during the Eighty Years War. The town began to prosper and grow following the return of the populace, Zaandijk was a separate municipality until 1974, when it became a part of the new municipality Zaanstad. J. Kuyper, Gemeente Atlas van Nederland, 1865-1870, Zaandijk, map of the former municipality, around 1868